From the Nominator

The first two issues of this donor magazine, relaunched with a new strategy and design, generated a scholarship donation of $400,000, an over $1 million trust redirect to support smalltown development, and an inquiry about supporting women in aviation that has grown into a larger in-progress estate gift. We sharpened our goals and content strategy by continuing to show the impact of philanthropy. We prove that donations deliver results. We focused on big ideas. We set the stage for future fundraising initiatives by connecting donors to wider “causes” they care about. We developed a new set of recurring story types that drive these messages in every issue. We apply a feature-approach to every story—even briefs—and vary writing formats. We broadened our audience; donors who have given $100 or more in the past three years get the print magazine. We’ve added select audience segments that have the capacity to grow. Social media advertisements broaden the audience and companion videos extend our storytelling. A new monthly e-newsletter reaches 140,000. We've added customized content. In print, the "Your Turn" section gives top donors a different story set from general donors. In the monthly companion e-newsletter, artificial intelligence serves up stories on 29 interest tag topics, based on which “causes” specific readers have said they’re interested in. We updated the look and feel. We developed a detailed typographic system, new strategies for photo shoots, fresh directions for illustration, and a modernized vibe.

From the Judges

We found this to be a fresh, innovative donor publication with beautiful photography, strong illustrations, and a compelling tie-in to Kansas State University throughout. The personalized approach—such as printing different versions based on donor levels—shows a deep understanding of the audience and makes the engagement feel tailored and meaningful. With strong storytelling, smart integration with social media, and impactful design choices, this piece stands out as a bold and effective model for donor communication.